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Welcome

Welcome to South Coast KinderCare, we are conveniently located on the border of Costa Mesa and Santa Ana, just down the street from South Coast Plaza and the 405 freeway. We are excited to introduce you and your family to our family of teachers. We hope you will will enjoy many years with us as we watch your child grow and learn.

Lynn Porter, Center Director

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Accreditation

Many of our child care centers are accredited by national organizations that require us to meet rigorous
early childhood education standards and guidelines for high-quality care and education. Programs that are
accredited have demonstrated their commitment to go beyond the state’s minimum licensing requirements to
meet and maintain these high standards of quality.

Our Programs

Infant Programs (6 weeks - 1 year)

Babies grow and learn every day. Our goal is to provide a safe and nurturing "home away from home" where babies can explore
and make new discoveries. We know that learning through play is extremely valuable at this age and our Early Foundations®
Infant program is designed to give babies the skills that will serve as the building blocks for a lifetime of learning.

Toddler Programs (1 – 2 Years)

As toddlers develop friendships, self-esteem, and curiosity, our Early Foundations® Toddler program will help them explore
their world in a safe and nurturing environment. Our unique curriculum is based on the philosophy that children learn best
through experiences. So each day is filled with fun activities that excite and develop toddlers, giving them the comfort and
confidence to speak those first few important words, as well as make their first friends.

Discovery Preschool Programs (2 – 3 Years)

At this age, children are making new discoveries daily. And as two-year olds begin to exert their independence, our Early
Foundations® Discovery Preschool program is prepared to open their eyes to a world of learning, sharing, and exploring. Our
holistic approach in the classroom engages young minds with a blend of music, art, and movement, as well as the early
education fundamentals they'll need as they continue on to preschool.

Preschool Programs (3 – 4 Years)

As preschoolers gain more self-esteem, they may feel ready to take on the world. Our Early Foundations® Preschool program
enhances that confidence by providing activities to help children become problem solvers and lifelong learners. Through
independent exploration, structured activities, and hands-on learning, children will work on early literacy, math,
science, and social studies concepts. A healthy dose of running, jumping, and dancing keeps them active too.

Prekindergarten Programs (4 – 5 Years)

Prekindergartners are preparing for the adventure of a lifetime – school. And our Early Foundations Prekindergarten®
program is designed to get them ready by teaching letters and words, math concepts, and valuable social skills. With
small group instruction, independent play in an organized atmosphere, and whole-group activities, children will have
all the right skills to hop, skip, and jump right into kindergarten.

Private Kindergarten Programs (5 – 6 Years)

As children reach school age, our comprehensive full-day kindergarten program helps them explore, communicate, and
create – all in a nurturing, small-class setting. Our team of expert educators has created a unique curriculum of
reading, language, arts, math, science, and physical fitness that’s presented in a fun way to encourage a lifelong
love of learning. Plus, our program is aligned with local and state elementary school standards, so children will
be prepared to confidently enter first grade.

Before- & After-School Programs (5 – 12 Years)

Even after school's out for the day, children need to be engaged in a comfortable, yet stimulating environment.
That's where our Catch the Wave® program comes in. This innovative before – and
after-school program allows school-age children to balance learning and fun through a variety of experiences.
From homework help to fun physical activities, our program is designed so that everyone goes home happy.

Summer Programs (preschool, prekindergarten, and school-age)

Don’t miss out on KinderCare’s Summer of Wonder: Six themed programs that will make summer exciting,
educational and tons of fun. Whether your child is in our preschool, Pre-K or school-age programs, all of it is
designed to help children learn while soaking up the fun. We offer flexible scheduling options to meet the needs
of busy families like yours so we hope to see you there.

Participating Child Care Aware Center

KinderCare has partnered with Child Care Aware® of America in an effort to offer fee assistance for Active Duty military
families and solutions to their child care needs when care at a Child Development Center on the installation is not available.

Learning Adventures - Enrichment Program

Math

The Math Adventures enrichment program is designed to teach important mathematics concepts such as geometry, numbers,
measurement, and probability. Your child will learn about length, height, and weight. He will learn about shapes and
solids. He will learn how to add, subtract, multiply, and count money. Math is everywhere and giving your child every
advantage now will add up to success later in life.

Music

Ongoing research proves that early exposure to music helps children think, reason, create, and express themselves.
Children will laugh and learn about rhythm, vocal melodies, and a variety of musical genres and instruments, which
can lower stress and advance memory. Learning never sounded so good.

Phonics & Reading Adventures

Set your child up for advanced success with literacy through phonics, the study of letters and sounds. Reader books,
games, and activity cards help your child understand the basics of vowels and blending syllables, giving him
confidence and command of language.

Children 6 weeks to 3 years old: Light and Dark, plus the Sky and Weather

Through shadow play, experiments with flashlights, observing the Sun and more, infants and toddlers will enjoy learning about light and dark this month. Infants continue sensory development by looking at contrasting patterns and at objects that are clearly defined by sharp edges and bright colors, while toddlers will build on their understanding of the light and dark concepts with play around daytime and nighttime. The older Discovery Preschool children will turn their attention to the sky as they learn about weather, the Moon, the Sun, and stars.

Children 4–5 years old: Transportation, Healthy Bodies, and Winter

For children in the Preschool and Kindergarten classrooms, January is filled with variety! They’ll begin by learning about transportation and studying how things get from “here” to “there.” A few weeks later, the focus will shift to health and bodies, with an emphasis placed on how to make good choices for a growing body. Towards the end of the month, children will be introduced to the transformative nature of the winter season and learn how to dress and take care of themselves when it’s cold outside.

South Coast KinderCare

2515 West Sunflower Ave.Santa AnaCA92704

MondayDecember 26, 2016

Center Closed in Observance of Christmas Day

9am -
9am

South Coast KinderCare

2515 West Sunflower Ave.Santa AnaCA92704

Teachers & Staff

Our staff is more like a family here. Ms Elena, our Healh and Safety Coordinator, has been here for over 25 years, while our Director Lynn and Assistant Director Candice, both celebrated their 20 year anniversaries. Eight of our current staff have had their children grow up while attending our center.

Lynn Porter, Center Director

Lynn received her Associate's of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Development from Los Angeles Valley college, and went on to Cal State Northridge to pursue her Bachelor's of Arts Degree. Lynn minored in Art, which is her favorite subject to encourage in all of the classrooms.

Previous Experience:

Lynn Started working with preschool children right out of High School. She spent 14 years teaching two year olds at the Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, a year at the Young Naturalist Center, and two years as Assistant Director at the Boulevard School in Woodland Hills. After moving to Orange County in 1994, she started at this KinderCare as the assistant director, and was promoted to director four years later.

Favorite Children's Book:

When Sophie's Feelings Are Really, Really Hurt
by: Molly Bang

Year Started:

9/12/1994

Tenure:

22 Years

Years in ECE industry:

41 Years

Education:

Associate's Degree in Child Development

Candice Worl, Assistant Director

To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world." - Bill Wilson

Candice has worked in the field of Early Childhood Education for over 20 years. She began her career at a private school in Garden Grove, working with Infants. She attended Orange Coast College and graduated in 1993 with her Associate's of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education. Candice joined KinderCare in 1994 as a two-year-old teacher and since then has taught in almost every classroom here! She loves music and singing and might be found singing songs with the children. In 2002 she was promoted to Assistant Director. Candice has three children, all have attended KinderCare. Both of her daughters are now in college and her son is in High School.

Favorite Children's Book:

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

Year Started:

10/24/1994

Tenure:

22 Years

Years in ECE industry:

21 Years

Education:

Associate's of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Development

Ms. Elena, Health and Safety Coordinator

I have always enjoyed working with children. Watching children grow into amazing little people gives me a sense of satisfaction that I had a little something to do with their development.

Elena started her teaching career at KinderCare, first working with the Infants. After eight years in that classroom she made a big change and spent the next nine years teaching Kindergarten. Elena is currently our third in charge; opening the school, cooking breakfast and driving the children to and from school. She's the first person you see in the morning and if you can't find her in the office, you'll find her in the Infant or Discovery Preschool classroom playing with the children. She develops deep relationships with her students and still keeps in contact with students that have now moved on to high school. Elena is also in charge of summer field trips and fills in when our full-time cook, Mr. Jose, is on vacation. As the Health and Safety coordinator, Elena administers any required medications, maintains the food allergy lists and checks the classrooms and playgrounds to make sure that there are no dangerous or broken toys or equipment. She has two daughters that grew up attending our center, her oldest started middle school this year.

Year Started:

9/18/1989

Tenure:

27 Years

Years in ECE industry:

26 Years

Education:

Associate's of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Development

Ms. Amanda, Infant Classroom

Ms. Amanda is our lead teacher in the Infant classroom. She balances loving care and positive interactions with the children and remembering each child's schedule and preparing individual monthly lesson plans for each Infant. She also helps out in the School Age program, driving the van and leading a group on field trips.

Year Started:

5/1/2006

Tenure:

10 Years

Years in ECE industry:

9 Years

Ms. Brittany, Infants

Life is Good" - unknown

I got into this field because I love children and it is so exciting to see their growth and development. Not only do I have my BA with 2 minors but I also have 3 AA degrees and I hold a California Teacher Permit.

Previous Experience:

1.5 years at a Child Development Center; 2 years at a Universities Children's Center

Ms. Elizabeth, Infants

Ms. Rosa, Toddler

Working with Toddlers is so rewarding. It is exciting to hear their first words and watch them learn something new each day.

Ms. Rosa is currently our Lead Toddler Teacher. She has also worked in our Infant, Discovery Preschool and Preschool classrooms during her fifteen years at our center. She loves singing songs, doing art activities and can be found entertaining the children at circle time with her special box of handmade flannel stories.

Year Started:

8/13/1998

Tenure:

18 Years

Years in ECE industry:

17 Years

Ms. Mona, Toddler Classroom (Assistant)

Ms. Cindy, Toddlers

Ms. Veronica, Toddlers

Ms. Veronica recently moved to our Toddler classroom as enrollment in that classroom increased. She grew up in Orange County and started working with children at the age of seventeen. Her son, Jesse, attends our center and is in our Preschool classroom.

Previous Experience:

Ms. Veronica has previous experience working with Infants, School Age children and as a van driver. She joined the KinderCare family at our Fontana location and transferred to our center as a Prekindergarten teacher in the fall of 2012 when she returned to Orange County.

Year Started:

1/18/2007

Tenure:

9 Years

Years in ECE industry:

12 Years

Ms. Favie, Discovery Preschool

Ms. Fran, Discovery Preschool

Ms. Maria, Discovery Preschool

Never give up, reach for the stars"- unknown

I started working at KinderCare in May of 2015. I am currently working on obtaining a Bachelor's of Science in Child Development at SCUF. I graduated in 2012 with an AA in arts and CSU general education. Something that I enjoy to do is to bring in visual images to enhance my curriculum.

Previous Experience:

Baby-sitting

Year Started:

5/14/2015

Tenure:

1 Year

Years in ECE industry:

6

Education:

AA in Arts/ General Education

Ms. Sandy, Preschool

Ms. Yazmin, Preschool

Ms. Angie, Preschool Classroom

I love watching children learn new things, tending to their needs and putting a smile on their little faces.

Ms. Angie began as a co-teacher in our Prekindergarten room. After a few years we offered her a classroom of her own with the tree-year-old children. Ms. Angie is very organized, patient and truly cares about each child in her class. She is loved by all her students. Family is very important to Ms. Angie. She loves spending time with her children and grandchildren in her free time.

Year Started:

6/20/2006

Tenure:

10 Years

Years in ECE industry:

9 Years

Ms. Susie, Prekindergarten

We all know that working in this field does not make us rich, but it feels like a million dollars when I see the children's success and they are fully prepared for Kindergarten."
"A child is like a butterfly in the wind. Some can fly higher than others, but each one flies the best they can. Each one is different, each one is special, each one is beautiful." - Author Unknown

Over the years Ms. Susie has worked in almost every classroom, as well as being our "Center Trainer" for many years. She pioneered our "Cooking Adventures" program and will be helping us start a dance program in the coming months. Ms. Susie loves gardening and nature, and keeps the children excited about trying new vegetables. She enjoys teaching different languages through singing and counting, and encourages self esteem by teaching the children to be proud of their accomplishments.

Previous Experience:

Prior to joining KinderCare Ms. Susie worked at the First Baptist Preschool.

Year Started:

3/9/2000

Tenure:

16 Years

Years in ECE industry:

22 Years

Education:

Associate's of Arts Degree

Ms. Marcella, Pre-Kindergarten

Childhood memories are created by special moments in a child's life and I am very honored to be part of those special moments and memories.

Ms. Marcella has been working with children for over 20 years. She obtained her Early Childhood Education units at Santa Ana College. She first started working at KinderCare back in 1993. Ms. Marcella worked for KinderCare for seven years before leaving and returning twelve years later. She has worked with Preschool and Kindergarten age children and is now working with the Discovery Preschool children. Ms. Marcella loves books! She reads books to her class every day and truly enjoys how the children get engrossed with each story! Ms. Marcella hopes to share her love of books with each and every child.

Year Started:

1/1/1993

Tenure:

23 Years

Years in ECE industry:

24 Years

Ms. Coral, Pre-Kindergarten; Learning Adventures

Children want the same things we want. To Laugh, To be Challenged, To be Entertained, and Delighted". -Dr. Seuss

As a little girl, I always played teacher in my room with all my dolls. Ever since then that is always what I wanted to be. I love working with young children because there is never a dull moment. I love seeing how happy they are whenever they learn something new that interests them. I plan to teach and inspire children's for the rest of my life.

Previous Experience:

Restaurant Server

Favorite Children's Book:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Brown

Year Started:

5/1/2014

Tenure:

2 Years

Years in ECE industry:

2

Education:

BA in Liberal Studies with a minor in Child Development

Ms. Alejandra, Kindergarten

Ms. Susan, Private Kindergarten

I have enjoyed working with the Kindergarten and School Age children for the last two years. It is very rewarding to help my students grow in their knowledge and skills which ensures their readiness for the first grade.

Ms. Susan is a devoted teaching professional with the gift to reach each and every student and instill a love of learning. She helps her students develop new skills, gain knowledge, solve problems and develop critical thinking skills. Ms. Susan creates a learning environment that fosters cooperation and positive social behaviors. With over 23 years experience as an Early Childhood Educator, Ms. Susan has worked with children from Infants to School Age in a variety of learning environments, from operating a home based child care to teaching in a faith based program as a Director for a large state funded child development center serving for 250 families. She enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren and likes to read, go camping and gardening.

Previous Experience:

Ms. Susan has previous experience working as a Prekindergarten teacher and was a first,second and third grade substitute teacher at Port Mesa Christian School.

Year Started:

5/17/2010

Tenure:

6 Years

Years in ECE industry:

23 Years

Education:

Associate's of Science Degree with certifications in Early Primary Education, Early Childhood Administration, School Health, and Programs for Infant & Toddler Care

Ms. Crystal, School Age

Ms. Soraya, School Age Classroom

I am truly passionate about teaching and inspiring children. The thing I love most about teaching is watching the students work towards their full potential and seeing them succeed in their work. The thing that keeps me teaching is knowing that my students will be here expecting to learn something new and exciting.

Year Started:

1/2/2007

Tenure:

9 Years

Years in ECE industry:

8

Ms. Erin, Support Staff

Mr. Jose, Cook

I enjoy coming to work and cooking every day, and seeing the smiles on the children's faces.

Mr. Jose is one of the most loved employees by both the staff and the children. He is kind and respectful and has a friendly sense of humor with the children, who love to give him a "high five" when he delivers their food. Mr Jose's wife Rosaura was a teacher at our center, and we have enjoyed watching their children grow up and have children of their own.

Previous Experience:

Before coming to KinderCare, Mr. Jose spent fifteen years as a cook at an Italian restaurant in San Rafael, California. That must be why his spaghetti is the favorite lunch with our staff and children!

Year Started:

3/1/2002

Tenure:

14 Years

Years in ECE industry:

15 Years

December 2016 Events

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ThursdayDecember 01, 2016

December's Learning Focus

12am -
12am

Children 6 weeks to 3 years old: Family, Friends, and Things that Go!

Infants and toddlers will be exploring family and friends, while three-year-olds will focus on things that go vroom! Social and emotional development is foundational to growth and development in babies, so this month, infants and toddlers will participate in activities that reinforce their connection to family while also exploring connections that exist outside their home, such as friends. Meanwhile, their older friends in Discovery Preschool will learn about and play around with things that move (like bicycles, cars, buses, trains, and airplanes), which are all very exciting for little ones as they continue to explore the world outside their homes.

Children 4–5 years old: My Country + Tools and Machines

The four- and five-year-olds continue exploring the world around them by learning about the state and country they live in! They’ll sings songs, play games based on travel, and learn about flags, state foods, and more. Children will also be introduced to cardinal directions (east, west, north, and south) and gain an appreciation for travel and meeting new friends from different places.

Children are naturally fascinated with machines and how things work and are put together. So to encourage that fascination, during the second half of this month children will learn about and play around with tools and machines. In addition to building literacy skills by using the names of machines and tools, children will develop math skills by graphing information, counting wheels, and more.

South Coast KinderCare

2515 West Sunflower Ave.Santa AnaCA92704

MondayDecember 26, 2016

Center Closed in Observance of Christmas Day

9am -
9am

South Coast KinderCare

2515 West Sunflower Ave.Santa AnaCA92704

About Our Center

Each child is different. Our large center offers a variety of teachers and teaching styles, making it possible for each child to find the teacher and group of peers that they can bond and flourish with.

Special Features

close to the 405 and 55 freeways

pick up and drop off at local Fundamental Schools

Languages Spoken at Our Center

Spanish

Tagalog

Meals & Menus

Meals Served

Breakfast

AM Snack

Lunch

PM Snack

Additional Menu Options

Vegetarian

Special diets

Lactose free

Holidays Observed

We are closed for the following holidays: New Years Day,President's Day,Memorial Day, Independaence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. We are also closed one day in the fall for Professional Development and Staff Training. This is normally on Columbus Day or Veteran's Day.

Health and Safety

Parents are provided with a code for the keypad entry for safety of our children. Each age group enjoys their own playground that is age specific and conducive to the growth of each age groups large motor skills.

At KinderCare, what families say about us means a lot. Read below some of the great experiences our families have had with us.

See what’s happening on the blog

Our staff would like to welcome you to visit our center. The staff takes pride in keeping up to date with the latest trends in Early Childhood Education. Ongoing training is offered to the staff during the year at the center and though the various training opportunities in the community.